Jonathan Santillan, who was 15 at the time, and Israel Vasquez, not quite a year older, burst through the door of the home of Jose and Maria Mendoza, and some '40-odd shots' were fired from at least two guns, a .45-caliber handgun and a 7.62 mm rifle. Jose Mendoza was shot 16 times in the head, chest and torso, according to medical examiner reports. Maria Mendoza, who was shot seven times, was hit while she was at the stove, then fell to the kitchen floor then she was shot in the back while lying on the floor. The gunfire orphaned two children - 3-year-old Jacob, who was home at the time, and 12-year-old Jorge, who was spending the night with relatives. Santillan was initially accused in the Wake County juvenile court system. In May 2013, a Wake County district judge found that prosecutors had enough evidence and probable cause to transfer the case to adult court. A Wake County grand jury handed up indictments in August 2013 accusing Santillan and Vasquez, his uncle, with first-degree murder. In addition to the two counts of first-degree murder in the Mendoza case, Vasquez and Santillan also were accused of conspiracy to commit murder against David Gonzalez and Juan Hernandez. Vasquez is scheduled to be tried later this year or early next year. |